Estonia’s PM resigns over corruption scandal in his party
HELSINKI — Estonia’s prime minister has resigned over a corruption scandal in his Center Party that led to key party officials resigning overnight, and talks began Wednesday among political parties about forming a new ruling coalition.
The move automatically prompts the resignation of Estonia’s three-party coalition government but does not automatically mean a new election.
Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said early Wednesday on his Facebook page that he would step down as “the suspicion expressed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office …. does not mean that someone is definitely guilty but they will inevitably cast a serious shadow over all those involved.”
“In such a situation, it seems only right that, by resigning myself, I will give the opportunity to shed light on all the facts and come to clarity,” Ratas wrote on Facebook.